Paint-mixer



v Patented Dec. 20, |898. J. G. JE'FFERS.

No. amel.

PAINT MIXER.

(Application led Jan. 25, 1898.)

(No Model.)

j@ je.

UNITED STATES PATENT I Prion.

JOHN G. JEFFERS, OFBUFFALO, NEWT YORK.'

PAINT-MIXER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,191, dated December20, 1898. Application led January 25, 1898. `Serial No. 667,902. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, JOHN G. JEFFERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Paint-Mixers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of paint mixers or agitators whichare used for coating articles with paint by dipping or immersion andwhich consist, essentially, of an open tank or trough-shaped receptaclecontaining the paint and a rotary horizontal shaft arranged in thebottom of the tank and provided with projecting arms or beaters whichstir and agitate the paint for thoroughly mixing it.

The object of my invention is the provision of simple means forpreventing the heavy ingredients of the paint from settling andthickening in the bottom of the tank when the mixer is not in use for atime, so as to avoid breakage of the arms or beaters upon starting theagitator, and also to prevent the dipped I articles from coming incontact with the beaters and breaking the same in case such articlesshould be accidentally dropped by the attendant.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is i longitudinal sectionalelevation of my irnproved paint-mixer. Fig. 2 is a transverse verticalsection thereof. Fig. 3 is a frag# mentary perspective view of the guardarranged above the agitator-shaft. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of themixer, showing a slightlymodified construction of the guard.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A is the open tank or receptacle, which is preferably trough-shaped andprovided with a curved or semicircular bottom.

B is the horizontal agitator-shaft, arranged lengthwise in the lowerportion of the tank and provided at intervals throughout its length withsuitable beaters or agitators C, which are arranged in proximity to thebottom and sides of the tank and which by their rotation agitate andthoroughly mix the paint in the tank, so as to prevent its heavierparticles from settling. In the drawings radial arms or beaters areshown; but, if desired, any other suitable agitators may be employed,

terior of the tank, as shown 'in Fig. 1.

such as screw-beaters. The beatershaft lpasses through .stuffing-boxesD, secured to the end walls of the tank, and turns in bearings e,carried by arms orbrackets F, which may be secured to the ends of thetank, as shown in Fig. 1. The shaft has the usual driving-pulley f.

Immediately above the series of beaters or agitators C is arranged anopen guard or protecting frame which prevents the articles to be dippedfrom falling into the bottom of the tank among the beaters and at thesame time allows the paint to pass upwardly and downwardly through thesaine as it is agitated by the rotary beaters. This guard consists of anumber of horizontal tiers of troughs or y trough-like receptacles Gr,which preferably extend lengthwise from end to end of the tank. Twotiers of such troughs are shown in the drawings, but a greater numbermay be employed, if desired. These troughs are separated by narrowspaces through which the paint passes in circulating from the upper tothe lower portion of the tank, or vice versa,` and the troughs of onetier are arranged to alternate with those 'in the other tier, or, inother words, the troughs of one tier are arranged opposite the spacesbetween the troughs of the other tier, so. that in case any article tobe dipped should fall betweenthe troughs of the upper tier it will beintercepted by and drop into a trough of the lower tier, therebykeepingthe article out of contact with the beaters and avoiding injury thereto.The troughs are preferably removably supported inthe tank by anysuitable means. In the construction shown in the drawings `they aresecured to transverse bars I-I, which rest loosely upon ledges t',secured to the in- The upper troughs are secured to these cross-barspreferably by rivets passing through the bars and the flattened bottomsof the troughs, while the lower troughs are secured to the under sidesof the same bars by rivets passing through outwardly-projecting iiangesformed at the upper edges of thetroughs. By the alternating or staggeredarrangement of the troughs the passages between the troughs are renderedsinuous or irregular. This causes the course of the agitated paint to bedeflected or broken as the paint passes through the guard, thusagitating the same more vigorously and mixing it more thorou ghly thanwhen the paint is allowed to take a direct vertical course through anetwork or similar guard.

A characteristic advantage gained by the use of the troughs is that whenthe mixer is at restsay over night-the heavy ingredients, Which settlewhen the agitation of the paint ceases, are intercepted and caught bythe troughs, preventing this heavy material from settling to the bottomof the tank and hardening around the beaters, which interferes with thestarting of the beaters and renders them liable to be broken. When suchheavy ingredients have settled in the troughs, they are removedtherefrom by inverting the group ot' troughs on their supports andsetting the beaters in motion, when the troughs will be washed out bythe paint, which is dashed against the same by the beaters. Aftercleaning the troughs they are again reversed to their normal position.

Vhen it is desired to clean the bottom of the tank, the guard-troughscan be Yreadily removed for this purpose by a pair ol hooks or othersuitable means,

In the construction shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3 the troughs aresubstantially V-shaped in cross-section; but, if desired, they may besemicircular or arc-shaped in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 4, or ofany other suitable form.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a paint-mixer, the combination with atank and an agitator arranged in the lower portion of the same, of anopen-guard diaphragm arranged across said tank above the agitator, saiddiaphragm being composed of troughs or receptacles adapted to receiveand hold the heavy ingredients which settle when the agitator is at restand separated by spaces or passages through which the liquid paintcirculates, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a tank and an agitator arranged in the bottomthereof, of an open guard covering said agitator and consisting ofannpper tier of troughs separated by intervening spaces and a lower tierof separated troughs arranged underneath the spaces between adjacenttroughs of the upper tier, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a tank and an agitator arranged in the bottomthereof, of an open guard covering said agitator, and consisting ot'upper and lower tiers of troughs, the troughs of each tier beingseparated byintervenin g spaces and the troughs of one tier beingarranged to alternate with those of the other tier, and transverse barsconnecting the several troughs and arranged between the two tiers oftroughs, substantially as set i'orth.

Vitness my hand this 24th day of January, 1898.

JOHN G. JEFFERS.

Witnesses:

CARL F. GEYER, R. B. JEFFERS.

